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We'll Do It Live: Virgin Holidays to Attempt First Live Advert Filmed Around the World

HLA teams with ITN Productions and Simon Ratigan for an ambitious world-first

ITN Productions and HLA have joined forces to co-produce the world’s first live streamed global ad from 18 locations around the world for Virgin Holidays, created by AMV BBDO.

The 60 second advert will air during ITV’s X Factor on Saturday night (Sept 10) and requires 19 simultaneous shots which will be edited live in ITN Productions’ central London master control room.

Directed by HLA’s Simon Ratigan, more than 90 crew were deployed worldwide to make the ad possible.

Using ITN’s unique infrastructure and connectivity the advert will be edited live by a gallery director and vision mixer as if it is live TV. The ad will then be played straight down the line to ITV from the gallery.

Planning for the advert took three months, 10 different country reconnaissances, and finding a cast of over 30. All under the creative agency behind the Seize the Holiday campaign, AMV BBDO.

The live commercial is designed to show a UK audience that people just like them are experiencing their ideal holidays, at this very moment.

Production teams will be filming 18 different scenes LIVE from eight key Virgin Holidays destinations:

- Hawaii: Catching a morning surf, horse-riding and fly boarding

- San Francisco: Cruising the Pacific Coast Highway on a motorbike, and taking a rocket boat ride under the Golden Gate Bridge

Adam Barnett, Head of Commercials, ITN Productions, said: “We were delighted and extremely excited when AMV BBDO approached us with the creative. The challenge to create something live from multiple countries pushes the boundaries, with ITN Productions’ expertise in live and fast turnaround, both in terms of advertising and TV production, we were uniquely placed to make this hugely ambitious plan a reality. There are no other UK advertising production houses who can draw upon the connectivity, control room and gallery facilities like ITN’s. It’s been a fantastic challenge.”

Mike Wells, Executive Producer, HLA, said: "From the outset we were convinced this would be the most ambitious production and creative project of the year, HLA are thrilled to have been chosen to be part of it. Bringing the craft skills and creative attention to detail always required in high end commercials production together with the immediacy of the world of the live broadcast has been an immense challenge for all involved. It goes to show how exciting the results can be when the right production partners from different disciplines are chosen.”

The Seize the Holiday campaign has been developed by creative advertising agency AMV BBDO, with media planning support from Manning Gotlieb OMB.

The live advert will launch during the X Factor as part of ITV’s Proud to Present initiative and be introduced by a bespoke creative voice-over. In addition to extensive television scheduling the new campaign will also run across VOD, OOH, Press, Radio, Digital, Mobile, YouTube, Facebook, Instagram and Twitter.

Don't tell my mother I'm in advertising, she thinks I play piano in a whorehouse.

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